Feelin’ folksy

Families panning for gold. Kids making corn husk dolls. Folks touring an old one room school house. Women donning garb from territorial times. It’s all part of Prescott’s Folk Art Fair, taking place this weekend on the Sharlot Hall Museum campus — home to all sorts of log cabins, the Blue Rose Theater sporting a casual vibe, a rose garden honoring women pioneers and lots of lovely paths for strolling and such.

I spent a few hours at the fair on Saturday, part of a weekend getaway with my youngest daughter Lizabeth. After living for a year in NYC, she’s convinced there’s little going on in places like Prescott. But that’s not the case. In just a single day, we hit the Folk Art Fair and toured both the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Smoki Museum.

Later, as Lizabeth crashed at our charming little hotel near Prescott’s Courthouse Plaza, I headed to the Prescott Public Library – where folks were participating in an annual drum circle on a large outdoor courtyard. While there, I checked out a block of sidewalk etched with dates and historical highlights — all part of a world timeline that’s continued in other parts of town.

Earlier, we enjoyed lunch at a charming joint called the Firehouse Kitchen. Our waitress was cheerful and attentive, and the chocolate cake we split for dessert was the best I’ve tasted in a lifetime. Tomorrow may find me returning for the peach cobbler, but first I’ll be hitting the Phippen Museum.

Update: I’m now blogging as “Stage Mom Musings” at www.stagemommusings.com. Please find and follow me there to continue receiving posts about arts and culture in Arizona and beyond. Thanks for your patience as the tech fairies work to move all 1,250+ posts to the new site. For the latest news follow me on Twitter @stagemommusings. 6/13/12